<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Tactics of Fantasy in Fate by Jay_s_Atelier</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30008118">The Tactics of Fantasy in Fate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_s_Atelier/pseuds/Jay_s_Atelier'>Jay_s_Atelier</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Writing Synthesis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:48:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,571</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30008118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_s_Atelier/pseuds/Jay_s_Atelier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Taiga brought Sakura a book to cheer her up when she spent her time as a house guest at Shirou's place. Who knew it was world altering?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cú Chulainn | Lancer/Tohsaka Rin, Gilgamesh | Archer/Kishinami Hakuno</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Tactics of Fantasy in Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Big surprise, but I do not own any of the characters or anything in the Fate fandom. My status as a Master in FGO doesn't entitle me to anything. I do, however, own the plot bunny for what I just wrote. You can thank the characters for being voluntold to participate~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"And how long do you plan to work with this idiot, Rin? He's jumped into the line of fire literally every time you all go out. Saber may be a reliable ally, but an ignorant mage that requires more babysitting than a toddler in a war zone is not what I would call anything, but useless." Archer sounded serious as he kept his guard up around the home of Rin's classmate. Their 'base' as you will as the only place that even had a bounded field that kept enemies away. Her own home was currently unsuitable and Emiya was so much of a block head that he wouldn't kill her in her sleep even if they weren't allies. Therefore, Rin was <em>technically</em> safe as she could be right now, while Berserker was out and about.</p>
<p>"I know. This alliance will only last until after Berserker anyway. Any debts involved in this will be over and done with then." Rin was nothing if not pragmatic about that. She was planning on winning this and, despite how convenient it would be to have a Saber on hand even in an ally's possession, she had her own plans. The fact that Rider, or Caster, was doing something to the school meant she had to rearrange when Berserker was fought against was just delaying the goal line. </p>
<p>"Then this has nothing to do wit the fact that that our temporary ally is little more than useless with faulty capability with even the basics isn't just you making sure he doesn't die immediately with how kind hearted you are, Rin." Archer dolled out. </p>
<p>Rin's face flushed as the truth hit home, she didn't want to get that one kid she knew Sakura really liked killed in all of this. That ignorant idealist would just get himself killed and Sakura would be sad when that happened. "Shut up, Archer. We'll be planning what to do the next day. Sakura and Fujimura-sensei are here too."</p>
<p>"This is the second night you all have payed sleep over, are you sure anything will get one?" Archer sounded displeased with the progress. Rin felt the same, but she couldn't involve Sakura in this when she wasn't even the Master of the Matou family, or appeared to be. </p>
<p>"Yes, Sakura isn't the head of her family and will no doubt be called home as the family heir to be sent away from Fuyuki, while the actual Master fights in the war. A Holy Grail War is not a place to leave your uninvolved family members unaccounted for." Rin was sure of that. She was sent away in the last war a decade ago when she was just an heir and Sakura as the Master should have been more obvious and noticed by now as she played housewife in another mage's home. Rin, also, was enjoying the fact that she did have a reason to spend time with Sakura. It had been so long since she spent time with her sister, or was allowed. Sakura might not remember, but Rin was soaking up all of this time even if they never talked to one another again.</p>
<p>"Heeeeellllloooooooo~" Rin cringed. She knew that was Fujimura-sensei. The woman was uninvolved in magic and headstrong. This could be another one of her attempts to insinuate things about one of them and Emiya again. Rin didn't need to be interrogated on a relationship she didn't have with her classmate. Again. Nonetheless, Rin moved out of her room into the dining room where the glutton of a teacher would no doubt be.</p>
<p>And there she was. Sakura was in an apron signaling that it was another time for her and Emiya to cook together like they were married.</p>
<p>"Rin-chan, tell Sakura-chan that Shirou can make food all by himself tonight. Us girls can spend some time talking together instead. You too, right Saber-chan?" Fujumura-sensei turned to Saber, they really should have made a better false name for her. Someone named Saber around during this time is just a call out to being a Servant involved in the war. Rin could tell that Sakura noted that as well for all she tried to be comfortable in the presence of Saber. No doubt aware that she was in a precarious position if her family found out she was near another Master, two even. </p>
<p>"Ano.. I like cooking with Senpei." Sakura spoke softly to their teacher. </p>
<p>"I believe guests are not imposed to cook for this many people." Saber weighed in, likely thinking of how much work that would mean for feeding herself too when Emiya had little to no mana filtering to her. Her compensation of food was no small amount due to that. Rin may like his food, but making Sakura tend to his Servant was not on the menu. </p>
<p>"Sakura-san should listen to Sensei. I believe she is Emiya-san's guardian. She would know better than us on how things are done here." Rin could feel her Servant's amusement at the fact she basically sentenced her host to cook so much alone come from their connection.</p>
<p>"Yes! See Sakura-chan, Saber-chan and Rin-chan agree with me. Besides Sakura-chan, I got this book for you on my way home from work. You told me that you liked fantasy books right? This is a new book based off of one of the Final Fantasy games. You could look at it and maybe get one of the games to play sometime for a hobby."</p>
<p>For all Fujimura-sensei looked like she was wheedling Sakura, it did look like she was genuinely trying to find some way for her to relax and have fun. Rin could appreciate that. Sakura looked like she didn't know what to do now that she finally took the book that Fujimura-sensei was waving back and forth. It looked rather old for a book about a game. Rin wasn't quite the best with them herself, but most games she knew about were the few board games and ones she learned at school as a child. None of them would beget the need for such an ancient looking book.</p>
<p>"Sensei, what game is this for?" And it appeared Sakura didn't know either. Saber looked at it appraisingly and joined the rest of them at looking at the teacher for clarification.</p>
<p>"Aw man, none of you kids are involved with video games. It's got some of the things for the Final Fantasy games. I know they only did a few of them right now for consoles, but this is one of the books that looked like it came out without a game. They might make one later off of it, but it's always fun now to look a little ahead. It has magic and other races in here too as well as monsters you see in the games. It should be fun!" And time consuming. It looked like their teacher wanted Sakura to have something that could last.</p>
<p>"Sakura, could you perchance read some of it out loud. It could be interesting to see what it's about at least." Saber tossed in her two cents. Then again, she did look genuinely curious at the cover. It appeared she did like to read outside of her duties, that was good to know.</p>
<p>"Alright," Sakura didn't seem the most interested until she opened the book. "The land of Ivalice, the home of the Moogles, Nu Mou, Bengaa, Viera, and humans....."</p>
<p>The pictures were of fluffy doll like creatures, dog like people, lizard men, rabbit like women, and humans. It looked like all of them could use some type of magic in a land under the royal family and nobles. So many of those seen had some job that did one thing or other. A clan... almost like a family of strangers and blood relatives took on jobs from minor things to defending the kingdom. There were phantasmal creatures and made up monsters that could be fought or even tamed. There was little to no technology, but they had things as advanced as airships. There was a specific magic that made technology work as much as there was one that was over <em>time</em>. Magic that no mage could do as well as simple things that Rin was sure no mage could have done without.</p>
<p>Saber looked just as hooked as Rin was, although none of them had the longing that Sakura had on her own face. Nor did anyone notice.</p>
<p>"Hey guys, the food is ready. I'm going to need space on the table." Emiya's voice came through as he carried the first dish. That stopped the rest of them from looking more into the book of Sakura's.</p>
<p>.</p><hr/>
<p>.</p>
<p>"I wish it was real," Sakura clutched the book closer to her chest. The people there looked like they had fun. There was no mage family that enforced rules like only one child that could learn magic. It didn't even look like there would be any reason to lose any family there. A reason for her to be a user of the Matou magic.</p>
<p>...it was a place that sounded so much better than here.</p>
<p>Rin was sleeping over on a futon in the room with Taiga-san. They didn't have to worry about anything here, but they led a nice life. Not like her. </p>
<p>'If only Ivalice was <em>real</em>,' Sakura yearned as she tried to fall asleep like the rest of the house. </p>
<p>.</p><hr/>
<p>.</p>
<p>Unaware of anyone, the book was a legitimate Grimoire that granted wishes of the owner. In essence a lot like a Holy Grail without the grail and so much more imaginative than the grail. The biggest difference was that the the spirit inside of the book only worked to make a place for their host to be happy.</p>
<p>The power of the Book was enough on it's own to grant Sakura Matou's wish to make the world just like the Ivalice of that she read about, the mana inside of her that was building up was consumed as the spirit of Zouken within the worms protested the purge of themselves from Sakura's wish. The will of a split version of a shade of a man was not as strong as a Grimoire that had the ability to reshape the entire world at the will of its user. </p>
<p>The land around them changed to a new country.</p>
<p>The people changed into those of other races that had no memories from the way the world used to be.</p>
<p>The awake Servants could literally see the world warp around them as reality rewrote itself in front of them.</p>
<p>An Archer found himself in the barracks of the royal military, his connection to the Counter Force completely severed in a body that was mortal one more. </p>
<p>A Lancer, likewise now mortal, found himself in front of a happy moogle that introduced himself as Montblanc and happily asked him to join his small clan to make the numbers up to three. The white mage next to him with cedar hair and amber eyes was similarly asking his companion with gold hair and red eyes if he would like to join them. He agreed faster than the Lancer with blue hair next to him.</p>
<p>A Caster found herself with her Master in a temple near a school. Nothing changed other than the feeling of being alive. She settled back to celebrate with her husband the very good news of no longer not being a creature of flesh an blood.</p>
<p>An Assassin found himself bound to nothing and decided to wander as the wind took him.</p>
<p>A Rider found herself as a personal guard of the princess of Ivalice. No other place of status in the kingdom, it was a relief.</p>
<p>A Saber found herself with the position of a judge. The second in command and in no way in line to a noble house, let alone the royal family. </p>
<p>A Berserker found himself the sole guardian of a young girl that was the youngest member of an alchemy family when her parents were away gathering ingredients. Said white haired girl with red eyes clung to them all as soon as she opened her eyes. The severing of herself and the grail waking her up sharply.</p>
<p>Those closest humans to the young Sakura peacefully slept on as the world transformed around them, gifted with the memories of their former world and their own bodies even as the world they knew it was no more.</p>
<p>.</p><hr/>
<p>.</p>
<p>Rin woke up in a town that was nothing like Fuyuki. Everyone was speaking English, but the buildings did <em>not</em> remind her of England, nor America. The pictures from her class and even the history books described no such place. The fact that some of the women had rabbit like ears and the re was a man that looked just like a lizard right next to a dog like man out in the open disinclined her to even believe this was real. </p>
<p>...it was too much like the people in Sakura's new book. </p>
<p>This didn't even count the fact that she was dressed in a blue like slip dress with boots and a few accessories and a fencing sword as a weapon on her hip. Not the night clothes that she wore last night to bed.</p>
<p>"Well, there look at you. How about you join my family?" Rin didn't like that tone. She liked even less the man, a human by the looks of it since that turned out to be optional, dressed as some half dressed and half armored thug. She didn't even care to know his name.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't come near you if you were the last man on earth." Rin moved to walk away and hopefully find a shop. Her magic felt a little weird, but she thought the spells she knew would still work. The fact that she, someone that knew martial arts, knew the basics of fencing when she never di the sort in her life was freaking her out like a buzz in the back of her head. </p>
<p>"Hey, you don't think I'm good enough?" Moron was following her and still talking to her when she just wanted to find a map.</p>
<p>"I think you mistake someone that wants to be near you as a person with taste." Rin couldn't even feel her bond with Archer, the command seals were just gone too.</p>
<p>"Kupo! There you are Kupo!" Rin noticed one of those stuffed animal like beings in a green coat calling out to her. She never saw it before in her life, but if it meant getting away from this creep than why not.</p>
<p>"I was out wandering," Rin told the fluffball with as straight as a face that she could. </p>
<p>"The others were worried that you took off without any warning. Kupo!" Rin swore she would learn the fluffball's name and thank him properly when this was over. As long as it didn't involve money, Rin was now painfully aware she might be broke in this world. </p>
<p>"Looks like you're a Black Mage and the lady a Fencer, sounds like you could do for an engagement for snubbing me and my clan." Moron was <em>still</em> talking to her.</p>
<p>"These two are Fighter, kupo!" Rin didn't care what they called themselves. The fact that her new abilities came with a name that sounded like a profession was more than enough to call for a few more questions. A knight in full armor on a bird instead of a horse appearing was not in Rin's mind for a normal time. Not to mention that ability to warp like that was magic she didn't think was possible. Aside from possibly a Magician?!</p>
<p>"Looks like the two of us are on a team, kupo. I'll back you up with my spells, kupo." Rin was glad she had the help. She may want to use her magic, but using them outside of her new Fencer skills might draw attention right now. best to use them in a pinch until she learned more. It didn't matter that there was magic freely shown out in the open here. </p>
<p>....or that people were used to the idea of an engagement that they fled the area of the fight like it was normal.</p>
<p>The whistle blew and the four of them were off. </p>
<p>It appeared Moron and his minion were actually pretty fast, but Rin was faster. She drew her sword and aimed for the joints. The rest of his and his friend's exposed limbs were all set for her to aim at. Moron got a stab right near his belly, but the man tore out her weapon and aimed a fist as well as a blade her way. Minion was almost on her too. Her fluffball friend ended up shooting fire from his staff at the man. Genuine fire too. A glimpse his way said he was going to watch her back. This reminded her a little bit of a Master nd Servant, only with her playing the Servant role. </p>
<p>They had this fight. </p>
<p>....and they did. The fluffball not even hesitating to kill the other side. But the whistle from the man called as a judge at the end seemed to shock Rin. She ... hadn't ever killed anyone before. Not even an enemy Servant in the grail war back home. Rin wanted to look away, but that would be too much for Moron and Minion. </p>
<p>"Kupo, it's alright now." Fluffball seemed to know what she was feeling. An empathetic thing then. To her surprise he was pointing to the Judge, who used something and the two men woke up like they had never been killed. The two were shaking themselves off and muttering n how it was not big deal. </p>
<p>"Come with me, kupo." Rin was in just the state of mind to follow him. All the way to a tavern it seemed when they walked in. </p>
<p>"My name is Montblanc, kupo. You look like you don't know what's going on around here. Are you new to Ivalice, kupo?" Rin looked over at him. How could she tell him she wasn't even sure this was her world anymore?</p>
<p>"Oi! It's the Master of Archer." That was Lancer! Rin looked over at the man who... didn't look any different in a small crowd of a lizard, a dog man, a rabbit eared woman and two other humans. One looking just over the top in gold armor ignoring everything except the brunette woman in white robes.</p>
<p>"What happened? How did we get here?" Rin was quick to demand. </p>
<p>"Not sure, but this place is fun enough I don't want to go back." Lancer replied. "Not that the guy I came her with wants to anyway."</p>
<p>"Shut your mouth mongrel, Hakuno is talking about a mission. I will not allow you to interrupt her." Goldie commanded Lancer back without any indication he cared to be hearing them.</p>
<p>"I thought so, kupo. This is Ivalice. It's a different world than the one you came from, kupo. Here people take jobs and joined clans when they want to use their magic and get stronger. You need at least four people for a Clan, kupo. King Gilgamesh named our Clan: Lugalbanda. Do you want to, kupo?" Fluffball had a name and was willing to help her. Rin... was further in his debt. She couldn't dislike someone this kind to her. </p>
<p>"I accept." Rin wanted to repay him as much as she could. </p>
<p>"Does that mean you'll marry me?" Lancer tried his luck.</p>
<p>"Shut up idiot!" Rin kicked the man, who blocked it with his lance.</p>
<p>"So that sounds like a try me later. My name's u by the way, not idiot, for future reference."</p>
<p>.</p><hr/>
<p>.</p>
<p>Shirou looked over at the man calling himself his boss. How did a cook end up being engaged to the princess of a nation? Oh wait the man went on that he should apply himself better as a noble instead of just a cook. That makes sense. </p>
<p>Unlike everything else.</p>
<p>"What's going on here?"</p>
<p>.</p><hr/>
<p>.</p>
<p>Shinji smirked. He had actual things that could allow him to do magic now. The idea of being a ninja sounded like a kid's dream come true to him.</p>
<p>...the fact that he was free from his grandfather was something he was not going to tell anyone.</p>
<p>.</p><hr/>
<p>.</p>
<p>Sakura woke up completely comfortable. Her head on the lap of a very beautiful woman that looked so much like no one she ever knew. Red hair and green eyes were comforting. The red was more red than her Senpei and the green reminded her of the plants outside. </p>
<p>"Did you sleep well, my daughter?" Oh Sakura was confused, but she felt so nice that she didn't want to leave. She felt comfortable and better than she ever felt in all that she could remember. As if she never had the worms in her body. It was a feeling she never wanted to leave. </p>
<p>It seems her 'Mother' took that as a confirmation when she relaxed further into her lap instead of moving away like she should have. "You're Uncle Kariya wanted to talk to you about what you wanted to do together on his next day off. Being a Judge is a busy work, but my daughter is a princess and takes lessons anyway when we aren't spending time together."  </p>
<p>Kariya was here? This... sounded like a nice dream.</p>
<p>
  <em>Maybe she could just let it last then.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>